Chapter 216

“Relax, right now you just think it looks like it, who knows what will happen later.” Bai Manshan said ambiguously.

Fan Erzhu: … He felt even more uneasy!

Fan Dazhu asked nervously, “Do they still dare? Aren’t they afraid of the authorities?”

“It’s already early July, and the authorities are nowhere to be found. There’s not even a porridge distribution shed at the city gate!” Li Wu said angrily.

Even if the court’s disaster relief grain hasn’t arrived yet, the officials could rally the wealthy households in the city to distribute porridge together. Otherwise, if this continues, a tragedy might really happen.

Hong Daniu looked at the number of disaster victims on the road and sighed, “Your Guangning Prefecture is relatively better off in the disaster, it’s just that the county magistrate doesn’t care for the people and does nothing.

Wait until you see the situation in Nanning Prefecture, then you’ll know how miserable it is over there. I’m afraid the county magistrate in Nanning Prefecture wants to help but is powerless.”

“I see fewer disaster victims here than in Nanning Prefecture.” Hong Mancang also said.

The men from Nanning Prefecture all nodded in agreement.

The villagers of Shanshui Village originally thought that their own prefectural city was suffering the worst! So many people lost their lives, so many were homeless and displaced, they never thought other prefectural cities could be even worse!

After the shock, everyone began discussing fervently: “If other places are also affected by the disaster, can the court manage it?”

“With so many people, how much disaster relief grain can be distributed to each person?”

“We were only worried about the disaster victims from our prefectural city turning into refugees and coming to rob food, thinking that the number wouldn’t be too many. But if there are disaster victims elsewhere, and it’s much worse than here, then wouldn’t we have to guard against not just our own but also those from elsewhere?!”

When the last question was raised, the group fell silent for a moment.

Bai Manshan timely stepped out and said, “So we have to go quickly and return quickly! Right now, the disaster victims are still local, with few venturing out. As time goes on, those who survive will rarely be good-natured!

They will then wander around, becoming extremely ruthless. We need to hurry and get things done while it’s still relatively stable!”

As soon as he finished speaking, the group immediately responded with voices of agreement: “Yes! We need to hurry and deliver the supplies.”

“This batch delivered, there are still several more. We can’t delay!”

“Let’s go, let’s go, three people per cart, rotating turns. Resting people, not resting carts!”

Originally, Master Bai had hired a large number of people so they could rotate and not delay time, shortening the days and delivering more batches, without exhausting everyone.

Now they felt that being a bit tired didn’t matter. The sooner they finished the deliveries, the sooner they could return to the village. If anything happened, at least the village wouldn’t be filled with old, weak, and women alone!

The initially slow-moving convoy immediately started rolling their wheels faster, heading towards Nanning Prefecture.

Bai Manshan led the way with a flag, feeling a bit more at ease.

The men from Zhulin Village had previously agreed to work for free, transporting potatoes without extra wages. Plus, they were very satisfied staying in Shuiqing, eager to go and return quickly, working hard on the road, which pleased him greatly.

As for Shanshui Village, because they were paid by the day, the more days worked, the more money they earned. The well-behaved ones wouldn’t dawdle just to earn an extra day’s wage, but with a large group, there were always some who would be lazy and delay. When others pointed this out, they would instead claim it was for everyone’s benefit, to earn an extra day’s wage!

This was only a few individuals. He observed them and knew that direct criticism would affect the overall morale of the team, so he used the issue with the disaster victims as a reminder.

To his surprise, the effect was exceptionally good.

It seems that no matter where you are, family and home are the greatest concerns.

Bai Manshan’s gaze fell on Fan Dazhu and Fan Erzhu, who were dragging their feet at the back of the team. The two had been complaining the most throughout the journey.

However, they didn’t dare to complain loudly, only muttering under their breath, which he pretended not to hear.

With a large team, it’s normal to have a few bad apples.

Normally, the journey from Guangning Prefecture to Nanning Prefecture would only take a day and a half on foot, but after the flood, the road conditions were poor and the heavy load made the journey longer. Bai Manshan planned for a more relaxed schedule, allowing two days each way.

Under the blazing sun, whether they were pulling the carts or walking alongside them, everyone was soaked with sweat.

When they reached a clearing, Bai Manshan shouted, “It’s hot. Let’s rest here for an hour, fetch some water, and make lunch!”

Hearing they could rest, the men cheerfully parked the carts in the clearing and began preparing the food.

Once Fan Jin finalized the group assignments, they discussed and decided on their roles: who would fetch water, who would start the fire, who would wash the dishes… With a plan in place, everything proceeded smoothly.

The food for Hu Butcher, Hu Wenhua, Bai Manshan, and the men Bai Manshan brought was prepared by Shuiqing, so they naturally ate together.

The younger men took care of most tasks, allowing the older ones like Hu Butcher and Hong Daniu to rest in the shade and enjoy a breeze while waiting for their meal.

Bai Manshan sprawled at the base of a tree, leaning against the trunk, panting heavily.

He was the only one who hadn’t pulled a cart, only walked, yet he looked the most exhausted, as if he had done all the work himself.

Everyone understood, though. It was already commendable for a wealthy master to walk; they didn’t expect him to compare to farm laborers.

Bai Manshan felt a bit ashamed as he saw the older men like Hu Butcher and Hong Daniu still discussing farming, floods, and world affairs, while he was struggling just to catch his breath.

Looking at the men who had pulled hundreds of pounds all morning and were now fetching water, starting fires, and cooking, he felt even more ashamed.

This shame turned into appetite at lunchtime, and he downed three large bowls in one go!

Uh, although he hadn’t done much, he certainly ate a lot.

Everyone was astonished.

Finally, Bai Manshan remembered his dignity and, pointing at his bowl, declared, “It’s not my fault I can eat so much. Shuiqing prepared such delicious food!”

Unexpectedly, instead of rebuttal, there was unanimous agreement: “Yes, my sister’s cooking is too good.”

“This food doesn’t feel like travel fare; it’s better than what we eat at home!”

“If we could eat like this while traveling, I’d prefer to be on the road every day.”

Dozens of tea eggs, egg pancakes, crispy and fragrant corn cakes, a stack of washed cucumbers, fried noodles…

The fried noodles were made with white flour, filled with crushed peanuts and sesame seeds, available in both sweet and savory versions. A quick mix with hot water made them smell delicious. No wonder Master Bai, used to gourmet food, could eat three large bowls!

The weather was hot, and the egg pancakes wouldn’t keep until noon. A thick egg pancake with a spoonful of fried noodles made for a satisfying meal.

The host truly put a lot of thought into it.